System and method for agriculture using a seed tape

Abstract

The invention provides an ability to determine a position of a growing plant in a field such that automated or semi-automated means can be deployed more effectively to provide plant maintenance processes during a natural crop cycle. A control system for an agricultural implement may detect detectable elements dispersed between seeds of a seed tape. The control system may determine at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone and may actuate a ground engaging device accordingly.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for an agricultural implement for use with a seed tape including a plurality of agricultural seeds and a plurality of detectable elements dispersed between the seeds, the system comprising:
 a ground engaging device; 
 an electronic sensor for sensing a physical location of a first detectable element of the plurality of detectable elements of the seed tape and providing a resulting detection signal; 
 a data structure storing a separation distance between at least one of seeds of the seed tape and detectable elements of the seed tape and storing a predetermined plant dimension for a seed of the seed tape; and 
 a controller in communication with the electronic sensor and the data structure, wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one of a weed zone between seeds and a plant zone for a seed based on receiving the detection signal for the first detectable element and reading the separation distance and the predetermined plant dimension from the data structure, and 
 wherein the controller is configured to actuate the ground engaging device in the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein detectable elements are dispersed at midpoints between seeds and the controller is configured to determine the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone based on a midpoint. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein detectable elements are dispersed between groups of seeds and the controller is configured to determine the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone based on a group of seeds. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detectable elements are Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and the electronic sensor is a RFID interrogator that senses the RFID tags. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the separation distance and the predetermined plant dimension is stored in an RFID tag which is read by the RFID interrogator and provided to the data structure. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the detectable elements are magnets and the electronic sensor is a magnetometer that senses the magnets. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a visual display, and wherein the controller is configured to indicate a location of the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone via the visual display. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging device is a dispenser for dispensing an agricultural product, the dispenser being in communication with the controller. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to dispense via the dispenser at least one of a fertilizer and a pesticide in the plant zone. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to dispense via the dispenser an herbicide in the weed zone. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging device is a mechanical instrument for removing weeds, wherein the mechanical instrument is in communication with the controller, and the controller is configured to activate the mechanical instrument in the weed zone. 
     
     
       12. A system for use with a seed tape including a plurality of agricultural seeds and a plurality of detectable elements dispersed between the seeds, the system comprising:
 a dispenser for an agricultural product; 
 an electronic sensor for sensing a physical location of a first detectable element of the plurality of detectable elements of the seed tape and providing a resulting detection signal; 
 a data structure storing a separation distance between at least one of seeds of the seed tape and detectable elements of the seed tape and storing a predetermined plant dimension for a seed of the seed tape; and 
 a controller in communication with the dispenser, the electronic sensor and the data structure, wherein the controller is operable configured to determine at least one of a weed zone between seeds and a plant zone for a seed based on receiving the detection signal for the first detectable element and reading the separation distance and the predetermined plant dimension from the data structure, and 
 wherein the controller is configured to dispense via the dispenser the agricultural product in the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a visual display, wherein the controller is configured to indicate a location of the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone via the visual display. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the agricultural product is at least one of a fertilizer and a pesticide, and the controller is configured to dispense via the dispenser the agricultural product in the plant zone. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the agricultural product is an herbicide, and the controller is configured to dispense via the dispenser the agricultural product in the weed zone. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the electronic sensor is a RFID interrogator that senses detectable elements that are RFID tags, and at least one of the separation distance and the predetermined plant dimension is stored in an RFID tag and provided to the data structure. 
     
     
       17. A method for agriculture using a seed tape including a plurality of agriculture seeds and a plurality of detectable elements, the method comprising:
 (a) sensing a physical location of a first detectable element of the plurality of detectable elements of the seed tape and providing a resulting detection signal; 
 (b) storing in a data structure a separation distance between at least one of seeds of the seed tape and detectable elements of the seed tape and storing a predetermined plant dimension for a seed of the seed tape; 
 (c) determining at least one of a weed zone between seeds and a plant zone from a seed based on receiving the detection signal for the first detectable element and reading the separation distance and the predetermined plant dimension from the data structure; and 
 (d) actuating a ground engaging device in the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein step (d) comprises dispensing an agricultural product in the at least one of a weed zone and a plant zone. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the agricultural product is at least one of a fertilizer and a pesticide, and the agricultural product is dispensed in a plant zone. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising displaying a location of the at least one of a weed zone between seeds and a plant zone from a seed via a visual display.